Hermione's Boys: Sirius
by akiismarina
Summary: Second installment of the Hermione's Boys series now finished . I suggest reading the first before this. Hermione's finally ended her relationship with Ron, and moved in with Sirius. But things must always get worse before they get better.
1. Chapter 1

**Hermione's Boys: Sirius**

Harry was in the middle of a heart-to-heart with Hermione, encouraging her to end her relationship with Ron so she could move on and find the happiness she deserved when the sudden appearance of an Auror interrupted their covert meeting. The unfamiliar wizard (or was it a witch?) informed them that Harry's presence was required at the Department of Mysteries in a no-nonsense but polite tone. He…she…**it** was not surprised when it was given no say as to the decision that Hermione was to join them. As a matter of fact, it was probably a good thing that she'd come – when it escorted them t the Department Head's office she was the only one who managed to keep her head. Mr. Potter was far too shell-shocked to string together proper words. And the newly recovered from the veil, now looking like he was barely over thirty, Mr. Black was far too busy crying and trying to talk at the same time while squeezing his Godson in an embrace so tight it seemed impossible the boy didn't pass out from oxygen deprivation.

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"Mooney," Sirius called from his seat in an armchair adjacent to the one his old friend sat in. Lupin glanced up at him over the rim of his cup as he sipped on his firewhiskey. Restless as always, Sirius turned to sit sideways with his legs dangled over the arm of the chair.

"Yes Padfoot?" Lupin asked softly, watching as Sirius scowled at the dark gloom of the Black Library, wondering why the man didn't just redecorate it and stop trying to glare a hole in the foundation.

"Harry you seen Harry recently?" He finally asked somewhat rhetorically. Lupin barely managed to give the anticipated nod before he continued. "Then maybe you can tell me why the bloody hell he's taken to dressing like the Fairy from Hell."

"I haven't the foggiest… it would appear no one does. Though Hermione seems quite annoyed by it. Not that you can blame her," Lupin alluded to the fact that Harry had also recently taken to moonlighting as his best friend's second shadow.

The men's voices were casual and light, as though they were discussing the weather and not Harry's disconcerting wardrobe change… or the fact that he'd adopted a matching persona to go with it. Both chose to ignore the fact that the change had occurred the day after Sirius' return. Somehow, pointing it out would just serve to make the phenomenon even more worrisome.

"Sirius… where are you?" An urgent sounding voice called loudly from the foyer.

"Speak of the devil," Sirius muttered, exchanging glances with Lupin. "Library Harry!" He shouted back, equally loud, as he stood to deposit his empty glass on a table. The sound of heavy, rapid footsteps coming up the stairs reverberated off the empty house's walls as Lupin followed suit with his own, barely touched, glass. Never losing their air of casualness, they sat and watched as Harry half ran into the room, urgency positively radiating off of him. Lupin and Sirius gaped at him.

"Sirius, do you have a spare room… or two?" Harry asked as he came to a halt in front of their chairs and refused to meet their eyes as he spoke. Both men exchanged looks at the abrupt question. The image of an errant child summoned for a lecture from his parents popped into their minds, and quickly morphed to that of a junkie looking for his next high as they watched him shift around nervously.

"Oh I think I can spare a few," Sirius said dryly. _"I've only got an empty fucking mansion to myself,"_ He mentally added.

"Ah…er…great. Umm… would you mind Hermione crashing here?" Harry's shifting increased, adding to the men's bewilderment. Sirius slowly shook his head.

"That's fine," he elaborated, knowing Harry was too… whatever he was to understand the simple gesture. "I thought she was staying with you and Lover Boy. Do you two need rooms too?" Sirius asked, trying to figure what was going on, and hoping to have some life brought into the dreary house.

"Um… no… well maybe. I don't know. Uh… but 'Lover Boy' won't, so we'll see," harry stumbled over his words as he tried to figure out how much to say. Instantly, alarm bells went off in the two suspicious marauder's heads.

"What's going on Harry is everything alright?" Lupin questioned him carefully. His tone was reminiscent of the manner by which a person approaching a stray dog may act.

"No." His response was quick. He continued, sounding the most sure he'd been all evening. "But it will be by the end of the night. Look, I've got to run. I promised Hermione I'd have everything packed and moved by the time she did it. I'll soon you soon." Harry turned to leave as quickly as he came.

"Harry!" Lupin barely managed to call out and stop him before he ran back down the stairs. Harry returned to the doorway and looked at him, obviously desperate to bolt. "If you need a safe, neutral bed, we've plenty of space at him," he said as Sirius' foot nudged his own in thanks. Harry's bright, thankful smile confirmed their suspicions that things were far from peaceful between the Golden Trio. Neither knew just what was going on, but they knew it was big and things were going to get worse before they got better. After all, Harry was back to dressing in his normal street clothes.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione's hands shook as, yet again, she mentally steeled herself. All week Harry had dressed in that ridiculous get-up with the sole purpose of pushing her to this. Right now, at this very moment, she knew he was in the process of moving her to Grimmuald Place. He'd spent countless hours assuring her Sirius wouldn't mind the intrusion, and that she'd be fully moved when the time came. All she could do was trust Harry in a way she never dared trust another before and pray he was right.

She'd asked Ron to a street fair a few town over. They didn't know anyone from the area, and she was sure she'd be able to find a private place to talk. For five minutes now they'd been sitting on the grass in front of a small chapel, trapped in awkward silence. They were close to the street, but far enough up the slightly sloping lawn to have privacy. Already feeling tears pinprick behind her eyes, she took a shaky breath and began.

It was more difficult than she could ever imagine. More than once Ron interrupted her, his outbursts growing increasingly angry. Each time, Hermione begged him to calm down and listen. And because he loved her, he did.

She didn't try and make excuses or shift the blame. In a way Ron was grateful for that; grateful she was being honest with him. At the same time he despised her for it. It would have been easier to hear she'd found someone else, or even that he was awful in bed. Instead, as he sat there, all he heard was how she couldn't love him. How she never really loved him. His ears were deaf to her despair; memories of how hard she had tried trickled away like sand in a sieve, leaving him with only skewed memories of a love built on lies. She tried to hide from him how long she'd felt this way, and Harry's role leading up to this. But he figured the right questions to ask, and managed to put it all together.

Hearing his reaction was the hardest part. He started wanting to fix it. He wanted this to just be a rocky patch they could ride through. But that changed as she continued to explain it all. When she finally finished, all that was left was anger. Anger and accusations. It all hurt so much, but she took it and accepted it. Harry may have convinced her that this was the right thing to do, but he could never convince her that this wasn't her fault. By the time it was over, they were both glad Hermione was moving out. As far as he was concerned, neither her nor Harry were welcome within his line of vision.

Hermione was glad she hadn't chosen a muggle town to go to when Ron stood and apparated, most likely home to the Burrow. She bit her lip, hoping he wasn't so upset he ended up splicing himself. Unwittingly, she placed herself at just as much risk when she stood and apparated to an alley near Grimmuald Place. Next thing she knew, she was standing in the Black Family foyer, enveloped tightly in Harry's arms, without a single memory of how she got there.

She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and pulled him in closer, suddenly craving the comfort of his touch. She rested her head on the end of his shoulder, facing in towards his neck. Feeling numb, her mind blank, she watched as a seemingly disembodied hand appeared from behind her back to hand a handkerchief to Harry. She felt gut wrenching pain as Harry gently lifted her head and pulled back so he could wipe her face and neck.

_"I must be crying,"_ she thought, detached, when she saw the handkerchief was wet. Her thought immediately silenced though as she buried her face in Harry's shoulder and continued to sob silently.

"Breath sweetie," Sirius' voice sounded near her side as a large hand began gently rub big, slowly circles over her upper back She turned to face out away from Harry now. Through her watery vision she saw the shapes of Sirius, with Lupin standing next to him. They were disturbed to see the dull, clouded over look in her usually bright eyes. Finally registering what Sirius said she struggled to inhale, suddenly feeling like she was drowning as she grew more and more desperate for fresh air. Harry's arms tightened around her waist, pairing with the firmer, faster circling of Sirius' hand to relax her enough to breath properly. Belatedly, she realized that the disembodied hand belonged to Lupin, who took the soaked handkerchief from a sheepish Harry.

Both men were glad they'd ignored Harry's protests, and helped move her things into a suite just down the hall from Sirius. They worked quickly and finally got Harry to explain what was going on, though they knew he was skimming over a lot of details for the sake of Hermione's privacy. Fortunately, both men managed to fill in the numerous blanks themselves. Well… most of them, they still couldn't see how Fairy-Harry fit in. They'd just finished and gone downstairs when Hermione appeared in the doorway, looking like hell run over and saving Harry from further questioning.

"He didn't hurt you did he?" Lupin asked, suddenly remembering Ron's hot temper when he noticed how violently Hermione was shaking. All three men became alert, sharing similar thoughts about men who hurt women.

"What?" Hermione's voice was thick and nasally as she spoke around her running nose. She pulled back only just enough to be able to look at all three men. Her sniffles continued as she tried to wipe away her tears with a shaky hand. "No, of course not. He just ran off; home I guess."

Harry nodded, seeing that she was telling the truth. This time he was the one to gently pull her back in. His arms tightened as he felt her shaking form huddle close to him. Without even thinking about it, he nuzzled her jaw, making his already tear-slickened glasses slid off and plummeted to the floor. Oblivious to Lupin's quick retrieval of the frames, He closed his eyes and nuzzled the crook and Hermione's neck as he took in the sweet scent of her body wash.

Most people would have been surprised, or even suspicious, at the exchange. But Sirius and Lupin were all too familiar with the dynamics of friendship tested and deepened by hardship and danger. They barely batted an eye, expecting nothing less from two people that undoubtedly knew and understood one another better than anyone else could ever dream of knowing them. They did, however, find it interesting how such a simple action served to suddenly calm Hermione so quickly.

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	3. Chapter 3

"You're staying with me right?" Lupin asked a few minutes later. He spoke softly, almost like he was afraid to disturb the room. Harry hesitated, undoubtedly torn between not wanting to leave Hermione and wanting to find Ron and do damage control. Lupin quickly picked up on it. "Ron probably ran home and blew the whole story out of proportion. Chances are there are two very angry Weasley women milling about and a whole pack of Weasley men drinking themselves senseless." Harry tried to defend his friends but was cut off by two knowing looks. "You wouldn't have been so adamant about hiding Hermione away here if you didn't agree. There's no doubt you've had plenty of Weasley's running in and out of your flat since the moment he walked through the door. Now its later, they didn't find anyone and they've been drinking…"

Lupin mercifully trailed off, knowing he didn't have to point out that if Hermione was public enemy number one, Harry came in at a close second. It would be safer for them both to spend the night hidden. Hermione looked up at Harry, her eyes wide in fear both for his safety, and at the prospect of him leaving. Harry ran his hands reassuringly over her sides.

"How about I stay here tonight and test the waters later tomorrow? If things don't go well, or Ron says he wants to stay at the flat, I'll stay at Lupin's." Harry spoke to everyone, but his focus was on Hermione, except for a quick glance he shot at Sirius as a silent request for permission. Sirius didn't bother to hide the annoyed look that accompanied his rolling eyes.

_"Why the bloody hell do they ask like that? An cold, empty mansion all to myself and he doesn't think I want my own __**family **__here,"_ Sirius thought broodingly as he nodded his permission, yet again. He pointedly ignored the amused, knowing grin Lupin shot him, pushed him lightly and walked away. Lupin patted Hermione gently on the shoulder as he smiled gently at Harry, then followed Sirius to the back of the house to help find some sleeping draught and begin brewing an anti-depression potion to give Hermione.

Hermione was grateful that the men had been so kind and supportive of her. Now more than ever she needed to feel like at least someone was on her side. But she was glad for the afforded privacy too. Slowly she allowed Harry to lead her upstairs to her new room. He sent her off to the bathroom to dutifully brush her teeth while he turned down her sheets. Having waited on the stairs from the chance to catch Harry alone, Sirius entered the bedroom moments after the bathroom door closed.

"Here," he handed Harry the pile of things in his arms. Quickly Harry dropped them on the bed, unable to juggle so many things at once. "I'm down the hall if you need anything. Lupin and I are brewing an anti-depressant now. Not much, but just in case," Sirius shrugged.

"Thanks Sirius," Harry said gratefully as he looked over everything. Extra pajamas, a toothbrush, clean towels for them both, a funny book…. Harry picked up his glasses, surprised he never noticed their absence. He put them on, noticing they'd been wiped clean.

"Give her an entire glass of that," Sirius said when Harry picked up the flask of sleep draught. Harry nodded, placed everything to the side, and poured a glassful. When he looked up Sirius was gone, and seconds later Hermione appeared.

A dose of sleep draught, many tears, and gentle words of comfort later, sleep finally found Hermione curled up and cuddled close to Harry's chest. It took several hours more to find her companion, and was ready and waiting when the brothers in blood finally stopped protectively patrolling the house in the wee hours of the morning, long after they'd brewed and bottled their potion.

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	4. Chapter 4

The first week of Hermione's stay was difficult, to say the least. Sirius rarely ever saw her, probably because she never left her room, except to shower and use the bathroom. More than once Sirius wanted to walk right in and say something. Tell her to get her head out of her ass and realize she didn't deserve any of this. He'd never admit it out loud, but he missed the old Hermione – prim, proper and bossy though she may be.

Throughout the week, Harry would come at the crack of dawn and not leave until early morning. Each night he would return to the Lupins' house for barley a few hours and fit-full sleep. He would spend the day floating in and out of her room every few minutes, wanting to give her time to herself to process everything, but not afraid to leave her alone for too long.

Within a matter of days Sirius' nerves were shot. Howlers letters were being sent by the mass to them all, and while they all worked on intercepting and hiding them, Sirius was left the shoulder the worst of it. Paired with the constant threat of violence from the twin, Ron, Molly and Ginny, it was becoming more and more stressful for them all.

The only saving grace came about a week later. Despite everything, Harry and Ginny still loved each other enough to try and meet up for lunch at Hogsmaid. They both understood the other was torn between the two people they cared so much about. However, that was not enough to prevent them from breaking into a very loud argument; neither could believe the other was on the opposing side of the fight. Somewhere between the screaming and flying hexes Ginny miraculously came to realize what Harry was saying. She should have known Ron would twist everything like this and now here she was playing the bitch while her best friend was out there in pain. Hermione needed her, now more than ever.

They left immediately after that, much to the relief of the patrons and employees. They only paused long enough for Harry to pay for their meal and any damage, which he did while Ginny tapped her foot impatiently. The rest of the afternoon was spent with the couple holding the sobbing, grateful witch sandwiched between them. After an afternoon of apologies, comfort food and showering Hermione with pure affection, Ginny returned home after dinner, eager to explain set her brothers straight on how Ronikins screwed up yet again.

Sirius was able to breathe a sigh of relief after that. Not having the threat of the scorn of a self-taught Hex Master and the self-appointed Kings of All Pranks looming over his head certainly helped. Unfortunately, having them lay off only seemed to add fuel to Molly and Ron's rage. He now regularly intercepted truly nasty letters and Howlers from both, and endured many threats. Harry also had a fair share to deal with, but he was a respected figure, and the lover of one of their own, so it was much more toned down. The Lupin family was left alone – it wasn't worth the risk of pissing off a werewolf.

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	5. Chapter 5

About three weeks after what they'd dubbed 'D-day', Hermione was on the mend. She no longer slept all day, exhausted from crying. She still had to use a potion to sleep peacefully, but they no longer spent the whole day worrying themselves sick that she might so something drastic to herself. She'd begun venturing out to the rest of the house at random time, though only for short periods of time. Excluding the two 'enemy forces', and Percy, all of the Weasleys and Lupins visited at least every few days. Sometimes together, usually on different schedule. It helped assure her of their support without suffocating her.

Sirius always found it interesting how she acted. So proper, like a high society debutante. But somehow she never seemed distant. Even at her worst, she always managed to make everyone feel special, always focused on them instead of herself.

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Friday morning Sirius stood on his front lawn, hidden by the charms on his property, waiting for the owls with the news, mail and angry letters from Molly and Ron to arrive. It was now routine to intercept them outside, apparate away before the howlers went off, and return before Hermione began to stir from her slumber.

Ten minutes later, Sirius returned, seething mad. The Howlers never grew shorter or less vulgar, despite how long it had been since the breakup. They always attacked every aspect of Hermione humanly possible, always in the nastiest way possible. It appeared that today's attack was solely focused on Hermione. That happened every so often, but they always made up for neglecting him in their later correspondence.

He was beginning to move coffee when he froze. Sitting, almost innocently, on the counter was a blood red envelope, which he'd activated by ever so slightly brushing against it. _"God damn bastard!"_ He thought furiously, realizing Ron must have snuck it in, it was obviously meant for him. Somehow he couldn't feel grateful for that as the grating sound of Molly's voice filled the room, reverberating off the walls to create a mild echo.

"_Bitch can't even do her own dirty work,"_ he thought harshly as the attack ensued. It was every bit as bad as Hermione's, with the added sting that his property had been trespassed on. Worse even – in between the usual things she hurdled accusation after accusation. She claimed everything from Sirius being gay for his Godson to being a Death Eater, to having a part in James and Lily's death, to being 'that Granger slut's' untalented lover. It was the most brutal one sent thus far.

"Really outdid yourself today love," he lifted his mug to the screeching Howler. His voice shook with anger. Words couldn't express it. He wanted to hurl every piece of kitchen ware he owned at it, but he didn't dare. The sleep potions Hermione usually ensured a deep sleep that didn't break until later in the morning, there were still times she woke up earlier and he didn't want to risk it.

The dangerous prickle of goose-bumps on the back of his neck told him it was too late. He could instinctively sense the angry presence in the room. Even knowing it wasn't aimed at it, it cowed him. Wishing more than ever that the damn thing would shut up, he turned to watch Hermione slowly approach. Her every muscle was tense, hair wild first thing in the morning, her eyes sharp. Her pupils were dilated and focused. The look was, over all, predatory.

When the Howler finally burst to flames, her lips pulled back, flashing her teeth dangerously as an animalistic growl sounded deep in her throat. _"A lioness,"_ Sirius stared. He was abruptly pulled from his wonder when a hand grasped his own tightly and forcibly dragged him out behind a snarling Hermione. Yet again she floored him when she used silent, wandless magic to fix **both** their appearances as they marched.

Sirius' hair was now neatly slicked back and he wore boots, dark jeans and a black tee-shirt. Hermione's hair was still bushy, but pulled back into a strict, tight ponytail. She wore jeans fitted just right, low black pumps and a blue camisole under a black jean jacket cropped an inch below her breasts. When they reached the street, she abruptly turned. Sirius nearly walked right into her and barely had enough time to register her now present, lightly applied makeup before she stepped close to him, her breast barely brushing against his chest. His lips parted as he tried to formulate a coherent thought; his efforts flew away in the wind when Hermione apparated them away without warning, leaving him to hope a muggle wasn't peeking out their window.

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	6. Chapter 6

Sirius barely had a chance to open his eyes before he was pushed into a seat. Disoriented and confused, he stared at the Weasley living room. Second later, the frozen, levitated forms of Ron and Molly came whizzing into the room, closely followed by the rest of their family on foot. They were dropped none too gently on the couch and given a second to right themselves before Hermione started.

"How **dare** you?" She roared. Everyone in the room shrank back from the woman, even though she never moved from her spot near the center of the room, closest to Sirius. "Did you think I didn't **know**? Just because I never saw it, doesn't mean I didn't know. **Two weeks** you've been making life hell for the people I love. The only reason I let it get this far is I didn't know how bad it was. I'm sorry! I'm sorry I hurt you Ron. But **you** Molly," she turned her attention to the woman, the disrespectful use of her first name further stunning them.

"You have **no place**! This isn't your fight. Obviously you've let this go way beyond hurt feelings. It's about your ego. Both of you. Get over yourselves. **I'm **the one that started this. **I** should be the angry one. I busted my **ass** trying to make it work, and when I **finally** do the best thing for **both** of us, **you two** start acting like bloody **children**," Hermione continued to roar.

Sirius sat huddled back into his chair, mouth agape. The Weasleys, knowing Hermione better, slowly began to grin one-by-one and relax into their spots, all thinking something along the lines of _"about bloody time"_. All except for Percy, who just scoffed and muttered about unrefined idiots. Needless to say, he would be hexed three ways to hell later in the day.

"To make matters worse, you went and brought **Sirius** into this," Hermione continued, oblivious to her audience. Sirius shrank further into his chair at the sudden stares of the Weasleys. She began to pace the length of the room as she spoke, each turn bringing her just a bit closer to the couch. She was a stalking, angry lioness. She began to gesture wildly in Sirius' general direction.

"That man has done absolutely nothing wrong! He protected all of us, on more than one occasion. He fought next to us and for us. For **you**! Not only has he been loyal to us through thick and thin, but many of us would be dead several times over if it weren't for him.

'The things you said… not wrote but actually **said** Molly, were so far out of line, you don't even deserve to **hope** for forgiveness. And **you** Ronald – sneaking into deliver it like that… you don't even have the balls to say something in person. You have to rely on you mommy to do it. **She** can't even finish the job. You're both **pathetic**!" Hermione now stood inches from the couch, looming over the two.

"You listen to me you little slut!" Molly screeched finding her voice at the same time as Ron, who promptly called Hermione a worthless cunt. The rest of the room tensed in anticipation of a fight when they leapt off the couch and hurdled themselves on Hermione.

In a matter of minutes she managed to subdue them, leaving behind cracked ribs, black eyes, split lips and tons of bruises. She even landed a kidney shot to Molly, guaranteeing the women would be pissing blood for a month and a kick to Ron's balls so hard even Ginny winced; pretty sure the boy would never see his testicles again. Once again employing silent, wandless magic, she threw them both on the couch and bound and silenced them.

"You **will** listen to me!" She commanded in a roar impossibly louder than before. "Stop acting like worthless, spineless fools and pulls your heads out of your asses! Try thinking with those little brains of yours for once!

'This ends **now**! Figure out how to make amends to Sirius and Harry. And your own family for making it so hard for them too. Or you'll be risking losing some of the best people in your life," Hermione paused, wanting what she said to sink in. Then she leaned in close to the battered mother and son and looked them carefully in the eyes.

"If you **ever** dare treat the people I love like that again, so help me Merlin, I will make your miserable little lives pure hell." With that, Hermione turned, released the charms and apparated herself and Sirius home.

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	7. Chapter 7

When they arrived, they silently walked inside the kitchen, each focused one their private thoughts. Hermione dropped into a chair at the table and gestured to the one across from her. Inexplicably compelled, Sirius followed her silent request. She rested her elbows on the table clasped her hands together tightly. Unusually patient, Sirius waited attentively as the sounds of breakfast being cooked filled the room. As rare as the powerful, well controlled magic Hermione possessed was, he was beginning to grow used to her silent wandless magic. He even, almost, managed to not be awed by how naturally she did it, obviously performing it mindlessly as she gathered her thoughts.

"I'm so sorry," she finally spoke softly. He could hear the beginning of a hoarse throat developing from her screaming earlier. He blinked in surprise, having expected her to go off at him too. And then insist on moving out and probably never return.

"I should have expected this. I knew they'd come at me, but it's truly unacceptable what they did," she continued. "I hope you can forgive my thoughtlessness. I should have realized…"

She trailed off obviously berating herself. By their own accord, his hands reached out and grasped hers. They felt soft in his roughened ones, with a few callouses as a testament to her independence and hard work. He rubbed his thumbs lightly over the back of her hands, unable to reconcile their small, feminine appearance with the powerful witch.

"There's nothing to forgive. I'm just sorry you had to witness that… to go through it all," Sirius said honestly. The relief and gratefulness in her eyes made him do a double take. She truly wanted his forgiveness for something she had to reason to desire it. "So, are you really washing your hands clean of them?" He suddenly asked, confusing her. "You told them to and make amends with everyone but yourself or risk the consequences," He elaborated.

"I don't know," Hermione said hesitantly. "I didn't demand one because… you should never have to ask for an apology. It should have never reached the point that I had to demand one for everyone else." Sirius nodded in understanding as dishes filled with eggs benedict and hash browns were levitated in front of them, forcing him to release her hands. Two fresh mugs of coffee soon followed.

"Thank you," he looked her dead in the eye, referring to much more than just breakfast. Hermione just nodded lightly. They began to eat their breakfasts, once again falling into silence.

"I think I'm going to look into what kind of professional title I can get… maybe at the ministry. I'll stay and help out here while I work at it. I'm in no rush to get my own place," Hermione told him the idea she'd been playing with for the past few days about halfway through the meal. Initially she wasn't sure of anything but wanting to find her own place. She'd just come to this new decision moments ago.

Sirius nodded, smiling broadly. Hermione was finally taking care of herself **and** didn't ask to stay. She was finally seeing Grimmauld as the second home he wanted it to be.

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	8. Chapter 8

That evening, Sirius sat in the library staring off into space. Hermione was spending the evening with her parents, who'd grown concerned about not hearing from her despite numerous phones calls and assurances from Harry. He and Lupin were due to arrive any minute, both eager to hear the story behind the emergency house call a doctor made to the Burrow.

Lounging comfortably in the same position as the night it all started, Sirius narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. The more he thought, the more fitting the title 'Princess of Gryffindor' seemed to be. She was commanding and powerful. She was humble, but naturally commanded attention and respect. She was fair and kind and didn't fear putting her foot down. She truly was a princess.

Mooney and Prongs were his best friends; family even. After James killed… and Azkaban... he never expected someone to defend him. Not the way she had. Women like her weren't supposed to treat men like him with such kindness. Especially not when it meant going against people like the Weasleys that she considered family.

She was right about one thing though… he was loyal as a fucking dog. Few people gained the trust that lead to the kind of loyalty that made a lycanthrope's familial attachment pale by comparison. But Hermione'd proven herself trustworthy many times over and this morning sealed the deal. She didn't know it yet but she was a part of his 'pack' now, small though it may be.

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Harry and Lupin soon stepped through the floo network hook up in the library to see Sirius still deep in thought. Quickly they settled in on chairs of their own and waited for him to come down from cloud nine. Sirius served drinks all around. As he poured their glasses, he began to tell them what'd happened, between occasional sips of his own drink, not leaving a single detail out.

Both men were riveted to the story. They weren't happy that things had gotten so far out of hand, but they were relieved Hermione had finally done something. Throughout the story, neither missed how Sirius spoke about Hermione. A subtle but telling mix of admiration, respect and affection. Lupin recognized it as similar to how he spoke to himself, James and Harry. He didn't know exactly what triggered it, but he could tell that Hermione was now considered among the close knit circle of people Sirius held dear.

Harry recognized the change too. He could understand exactly what had happened. It was the same light-bulb moment that had bit him a few weeks ago. The evening continued with a new light – heartedness as Hermione unknowingly gained a second devoted, hopelessly loyal fan.

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